PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Yun Sing Koh

Yun Sing Koh is a machine-learning researcher whose work spans continual and transfer learning, anomaly detection, and data-stream mining. She completed a software-engineering master's at the University of Malaya and a machine-learning PhD at Otago in 2007, then joined the University of Auckland in 2010 after lecturing at AUT. Her 2018 Marsden grant backed lifelong learning in data streams; her 2023 Emotion Recognition ToolKit paper received ACM Multimedia's Open-Source Award, and she led Auckland's Master of AI programme at its 2024 launch. In 2025, she became a principal investigator on a $1 million, three-year AI project for stoat re-identification. As of October 2026, she is a professor and Deputy Head of the University of Auckland's School of Computer Science and co-directs its Centre of Machine Learning for Social Good.

Born
1978

Years link to their sources.

Timeline

  1. 2007

    A neural network PhD

    She earns a master's in software engineering at the University of Malaya, then completes a machine-learning PhD at the University of Otago in 2007. Her thesis is titled ‘Initialising neural networks with prior knowledge.’

  2. 2010

    Joining the University of Auckland

    She joins the University of Auckland in 2010 after working for several years as a lecturer at Auckland University of Technology (AUT).

  3. 2018

    An adaptive learning grant

    In 2018, she receives a $300,000 Marsden Fund grant for ‘An Adaptive Predictive System for Life-long Learning on Data Streams.’

  4. 2021

    Co-chairing IEEE ICDM

    Her research spans continual and transfer learning, anomaly detection, and data-stream mining. In 2021, she serves as one of the General Co-Chairs for IEEE ICDM.

  5. 2023

    The ERTK open-source award

    In 2023, she co-authors ‘Emotion Recognition ToolKit (ERTK): Standardising Tools For Emotion Recognition Research,’ which wins ACM Multimedia’s Open-Source Award.

  6. 2024

    Leading Auckland’s Master of AI

    In 2024, she directs the University of Auckland’s Master of AI programme, which launches with 33 students from academia and industry.

  7. 2025

    AI for stoat re-identification

    In 2025, she and Daniel Wilson become principal investigators on a $1 million, three-year project to develop AI-powered stoat re-identification for effective pest management in Aotearoa.

  8. As of October 2026

    Professor and Deputy Head

    As of October 2026, she is a professor and Deputy Head of the University of Auckland’s School of Computer Science and a co-director of its Centre of Machine Learning for Social Good.

Career

  1. Since 2010University of AucklandProfessor and Deputy Head, Director, Master of AI programme
  2. Auckland University of TechnologyLecturer

Education

  1. 2007University of OtagoPhD
  2. University of MalayaMaster's in software engineering

From the biography.

  1. The United States employs an estimated 48% of people shaping AIIncludes University of Auckland. We estimate where the people shaping AI work today, how universities, companies and research institutes split across countries, and how country shares have changed since the 1960s.
  2. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes University of Auckland. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.
  3. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes University of Auckland. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.
  4. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes Auckland University of Technology. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and 5+ year employment links, career timing and current workplaces for 187 major-prize and 1,111 best-paper winners.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Yun Sing Koh yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Department of Computer Science cs.otago.ac.nz. Checked 20 October 2026.
  2. Doing good with AI auckland.ac.nz. Checked 20 October 2026.
  3. User:Ykoh011 - Stage One Wiki wiki.cs.auckland.ac.nz. Checked 20 October 2026.
  4. Innovative University research enhanced with Marsden Fund awards auckland.ac.nz. Checked 20 October 2026.
  5. Our Team | MARS LAB datascience.blogs.auckland.ac.nz. Checked 20 October 2026.
  6. Organising Committee | IEEE International Conference on Data Mining 2021 (ICDM2021) icdm2021.auckland.ac.nz. Checked 20 October 2026.
  7. Main Page - ACM MM 2023 acmmm2023.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  8. Eight innovative research projects each attract $1m Smart Ideas funding auckland.ac.nz. Checked 20 October 2026.
  9. Science faculty announces six research centres through to 2028 auckland.ac.nz. Checked 20 October 2026.
  10. Contact our people – University of Auckland auckland.ac.nz. Checked 20 October 2026.